Slumgullion Pass (elevation ) is a mountain pass in southwestern

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

traversed by State Highway 149 east of Lake City. The north side has the steepest grade of any continuously paved road in Colorado (9%), but the pass does not close often in winter because snowplows clear the route regularly during this season. It has a few switchbacks and tight spots, but other than that, most travelers will find it an easy, scenic route. Technically speaking, the current highway does not traverse the true Slumgullion Pass, which lies just off the highway on the ridge between Cebolla Creek and the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River, at an elevation of about . As a result of a realignment several decades ago (evident by comparing USGS topographic maps of different vintages), the road now takes a shorter but somewhat higher route as it travels east and south from this spot toward

Spring Creek Pass Spring Creek Pass, elevation , is a mountain pass on the Continental Divide in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. The pass is traversed by State Highway 149, and the Continental Divide Trail and Colorado Trail follow the divide and cross the hig ...

. The road sign at the high point refers to Slumgullion Summit rather than Slumgullion Pass in order to reflect this. This is analogous to the usage of the terms

Donner Summit Donner Pass is a mountain pass in the northern Sierra Nevada, above Donner Lake and Donner Memorial State Park about west of Truckee, California. Like the Sierra Nevada themselves, the pass has a steep approach from the east and a gradual a ...

and Cajon Summit in California. However, in all three cases, the more familiar but slightly inaccurate name is routinely used.

Slumgullion Slide

Slumgullion Pass is named for the nearby

Slumgullion Earthflow The Slumgullion Earthflow in the San Juan Mountains in Hinsdale County, Colorado has been a National Natural Landmark since 1983. It is also a Colorado Natural Area and an Area of Critical Environmental Concern. The earthflow, a slow-moving lan ...

, a gigantic landslide whose yellowish soil reminded early settlers and miners of slumgullion stew. The Slumgullion Slide began about 700 years ago when weak volcanic tuff and breccia on the southern flank of Mesa Seco slumped several miles down the steep mountainside. Approximately 300 years ago, a second earthflow started from the top of the mountain and is still active, moving as much as twenty feet (six meters) per year. Trees growing on the newer slide are tipped at odd angles. The first flow was so large and cataclysmic that it blocked the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River and created

Lake San Cristobal Lake San Cristobal is a lake in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located in the San Juan Mountains at an elevation of , the freshwater lake is long, up to deep, has a surface area of , and holds about of water. The town of Lake City, a few mil ...

, Colorado's second largest natural lake.

References

{{reflist Mountain passes of Colorado Landforms of Hinsdale County, Colorado Transportation in Hinsdale County, Colorado

Slumgullion Slide

See also

References